Machine support



July 28, 1925.

.F. A. ADAMS mama SUPPORT Original Filed May 27. 1922 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 M MM July 28, 1925.

F. A. ADAMS MACHINE SUPPORT Original Filed May 27. 1922 ""2 Sheets-Sheet 2 31102111501 I'M/1.1mm ,kceafied. Tc msa 1 Patented July 28, 1925.

UHTED stares PATENT FRANK A. ADAMS, DECEASED, LATE 0F BO'CHESTER,NEVIIYORK; BY TERESA C. ADAMS, ADMENISTRATRIX, OF ROCHESTER, NEW YORK; SAID FRANK A. ADAlvIS ASSIGI-IOR T0 GEORGE F. l /IEBRELL, INCORPORATED, OF BQCHESTER, NEVJ' YORK, A Q01?? PORATION OF NEW YORK.

MACHINE SUPPORT.

Original application filed May 27', 1922, Serial No. 564,233. Divided and this application filed. June 9,

1924. Serial No. 718,968.

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that FRANK A. ADAMS, deceased, late a citizen of the United States, and late a resident of Rochester, in the county of Monroe and State of New York, did invent certain new and useful Improvements in Machine Supports, and the following is declared to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to machine supports and more particularly to supports for machines that comprise a centrifuge or other member adapted to rotate at high speed, the present application. being a division of application Serial No. 564,233, filed May 27, 1922.

Objects of the invention are to provide a convenient portable support adapted to be moved with the machine; to resiliently support a machine in such manner as to absorb vibrations in any direction and components of such vibrations; to absorb the whip of a centrifuge caused by unequal distribution of weight about its axis of rotation in such manner as not to obstruct its coming up to speed; and in general to improve the construction and mode of operation of machine supports as more particularly described and explained hereinafter, illustrated in the ac companying drawings and defined in. the appended claimsl In the accompanying drawings in which like reference characters indicate like parts throughout the several views:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of the improved support associated with a machine; 7

Fig. 2 is a sectional view of a detail;

Fig. 8 is a vertical section taken centrally through the supporting stand;

Fig. t is a horizontal section through a fragment of the supporting stand;

Fig. 5 is a vertical section through a resilient column forming an important element of the improved supporting means;

Fig. 6 is a sectional view of one of the studs adapted to secure the resilient columns to the machine frame and to the supporting stand;

Fig. 7 is a top plan view of a modified construction for detachably connecting the leg of the supporting stand; and

Fig. 8 1S a vertical section through the parts shown in Fig. 7.

by which one side of a supporting stand is sustained, said supporting stand comprises a top supporting member 1, which may be of any suitable shape but is preferably of general triangular form having an open center 2. Said supporting top member 1 may be'pressed from sheet material such as steel and strengthened by flanges 3 and 4. At opposite sides of the top 1 adjacent the rear edge 1 are secured hooks 5. Said hooks project rearward parallel to each other beyond the rear edge 1 of the top and are so formed as to enable them to engage over and bear vupon the edge of an ordinary sink S or the like and prevent movement transversely of the sink edge. Said hooks 5 may be secured to the top 1 in any suitablemanner. As a convenient means of securing them, a socket member 6 may be formed integral with the top 1 on each side thereof and the shanks 7 of the hooks inserted in them and riveted or otherwise fastened in place. The socket member 6 is preferably formed of a tongue, integral with the flange 8 of the top member, rolled or curled into a tube. As shown in the drawing, rivets 8 and 8 pass through the socket member 6 and shank 7 of the hook 5 retaining the socket in shape as well as securing the shank therein. In order that the hooks may be frictionally engaged with the edge of the sink it is preferred to cover them 'with anti-slipping cushioning material and for this purpose rubber tubing 9 is applied over the sink-edge-engaging portions thereof.

In order to cooperate with the hooks, which rest upon the edge of a sink or the like, and sustain one side of the top 1, a leg is detachably secured to the opposite side. A preferred construction for detachably connecting this leg comprises a portion that may be a separate plate 10, secured to the flange 3 of the top member or may be a part of said flange. The plate 10, illustrated, is widened between its ends so as to project both above and below said flange as at 11 and 12. To this plate is detachably ointed -a leg bracket as shown in Figs. 1 and The said plate 10 has symmertically disposed lugs 13 at opposite sides of the vertical center line and adjacent its upper edge. Said lugs 13 may be formed by punching portions of the metal outward from the plate forming lugs integrally connected at their upper ends with the plate. The lower edge of the part 12 of the plate is notched on a vertical line substantially midway of the said lugs as at 141. The detachable leg bracket comprising a socket member 15 formed preferably of sheet metal, having lateral flanges 16 so shaped as to fit snugly in contact with the exterior of plate 10, the upper edge of said flanges fitting beneath the lugs 13. In the construction shown in Figs. 3 and 1 a T-headed bolt 17 engages the bracket, the head thereof passing trans versely through the bracket between the socket 15 and the flanges 16 while the shank of the bolt engages in the vertical notch 141 in the lower portion 12 of said plate 10. Any suitable tightening member, as a wing nut 18, may be utilized to tighten the bolt and fix the leg bracket in place. Upon loosening the wing nut it will be obvious that the bracket may be detached by pulling it downward. Tn attaching it the tops of the flange 16 are inserted beneath the lugs 13, and the bracket moved upward, whereupon the shank of the bolt enters the notch 14: and the nut may be tightened.

Secured in the socket member 15 of the leg bracket is a. supporting leg adapted to rest upon a floor or other foundation and cooperate with the hooks 5 resting upon the edge of the sink or the like to sustain the top member at the necessary height in a substantially lower position. In order to adapt the support to sinks of different heights, it is preferred to make the leg adjustable in length. A convenient adjustable leg com prises a tubular section 19 secured in the socket by any suitable means such as a trans verse pin 19. lVithin said tubular section 19 is telescoped a second section 20 preferably provided with a rubber or other cushioning foot member 21. The said section 20 fits within and is adapted to slide with respect to the tubular section 19 so that the two sections may be relatively adjusted within such range as may be required. Said seetion 20 may be secured to section19 in adjusted position by a divided clamp 22 surrounding the lower end of the tubular section 19, which is split vertically, as at 23, said clamp having parallel protruding ears 2 1 adapted to be forced toward each other by means such as a bolt provided with a wing nut as indicated at 25.

A preferred form of means for detachably connecting the leg with the top member 1 is illustrated in Figs. 7 and S. In this form plate 10 is die cut or otherwise formed with tongues integral with the edge of the plate, said tongues being subsequently folded over so as to form lugs 13 extending diagonally downward toward each other spaced from the outer face of the plate a sufficient distance to allow the upper edge of the flanges 16 of the soeketed leg bracket to enter beneath them. In the preferred form of the invention the head 17 of the clamping bolt 17 (preferably of carriage bolt type)- en gages the inside of the plate 10, the squared part of the shank thereof fitting in the notch 1 11 The shank of bolt 17" passes completely through socket member 15 and tubular leg section 19, the outer end of said bolt protruding from the front of the socket member being engaged by a nut 18 whereby the bracket may be tightened in place. In this preferred construction the nut for securing or releasing the leg bracket is brought into more convenient position; the tightening bolt also has the added function of securing the tubular section 19 of the leg in the socket member avoiding the necessity of other means for securing said section to the bracket. This construct-ion also utilizes a standard bolt and eliminates the cost of special parts.

An important part of this invention is the means for securing the machine frame to the top of the supporting stand. In the embodiment shown the machine frame consists of a tub or receptacle 30 within which may be mounted washing and moisture extracting means not necessary for the purposes of this invention to be disclosed fur ther than to state that the moisture extracting means consists of a centrifugal basket indicated at 31 by dotted lines, said basket rotating in hearings in the said receptacle or frame 30 so that all stresses and vibrations resulting from the movements of said basket are transmitted to said frame. Beneath the frame 30 there is shown, in Fig. 1, a housing 32, which, it will be understood, may incase, for the purposes of this application any means adapted to rotate the basket 31 at high speed. The said frame 30 is supported on top of a plurality of resilient columns 33, the upper ends of which are immovably secured to the frame, and the lower ends of which are likewise immovably secured to the top 1 of the supporting stand. In the embodiment of the invention here disclosed there are three of said resilient columns 33; two of them are disposed adjacent the corners of said three cornered top 1 from which the supporting hooks 5. project. The other column is disposed adjacent the third corner of said top; Said columns 33 are composed of solid, highly resilient material. The term solid is not meant to exclude tubular; but it is desired thereby to distinguish from resilient supports in the nature of metallic springs, in which the effective resilience is due to the form of the resilient member, those resilient supports in which elasticity is inherent in the material permitting it to yield to forces exerted in every direction and to energetically recover its original position and shape after these forces have ceased to act. The material of which these columns are made is rubber. They are secured immovably to the top supporting member 1 of the stand and immovably to the bottom or under side of the frame as stated. A preferred means for so securing the columns comprises studs 34, riveted to supporting member 1 and frame 30, and entering the upper and lower ends of the columns 33. These studs 34 are adapted to have their tubular reduced ends 35 inserted within holes 36 made in the said top member 1 and in similar holes formed in the bottom of the frame 30. The shoulder 37 of each stud 34 rests against the upper surface of top 1 or the under-surface of frame 30 (as the case may be) and the annular end is expanded or flanged in a well known manner against the opposite surface. of the top or frame so as to secure the stud rigidly. The sides of said stud are grooved circumferentially as indicated at 38. Sockets 39 extending in an axial direction are molded or otherwise formed in the upper and lower ends of said columns 33 for the reception of the studs 34. When a column is firmly seated over a stud on the supporting member 1 and the frame is firmly seated on top of the column with a stud extending into said column a suitable binder such as wire 40 or any available hose clamping device may be. tightened circumferentially around the top and bottom of each column in such manner as to compress the resilient material thereof into the grooves 38 of the studs and secure said columns at top and bottom to the under surface of said frame 30 and the upper surface of the supporting stand, respectively. The columns 33 are of sufficient height or longitudinal extent to permit ready lateral flexure thereof between their ends of considerable amplitude. By preference columns 33 are of greater diameter at their bases than at points above their bases. Preferably they taper from the zone 41 to the Zone 42 and then expand sufiiciently to afford firm anchorage for the stud to which it is bound. It is preferred, at the present time, to make these columns of conical or conoidal form; but it will be understood that the particular form of the columns is not material to my invention provided said columns are of suflicient length and resilience properly to respond to the stresses applied and to achieve the results desired.

It will be understood that when a centrifugal basket, containing clothing, for example, is rotated, the clothing may not be evenly distributed about the center of the basket so that the axis of rotation of the basket, when loaded, does not pass through the center of gravity of the mass consisting of the basket and its contents. As a consequence of the eccentricity of the center of gravity of the mass with respect to the axis of rotation of the basket, the mass, when in rotation, tends to assume a position of balance in which the center of gravity coincides with a point in the axis of rotation. Inasmuch as the mass under consideration is not rotating freely in space but is necessarily mounted in bearings on some support, said rotating mass, in its efforts to assume a position of balance, applies force to the support tending to move it. If it is attempted to prevent all movement of the support in response to the action of the force referred to, severe vibrations are imparted to the support which are injurious to the machine and support. It is therefore desirable to sup port the frame or member in or on which the basket rotates, by yielding means that will permit some movement of the kind referred to but will exercise a restraining action tending to restore the frame to its normal position it occupies when at rest. The resilient columns herein described, secured immovably at top and bottom to the machine frame and a supporting member, respectively, capable of yielding elastically to forces applied in all directions and quickly resuming their original form, not only accomplishes the desirable result just mentioned, but absorbs effectively all lateral and vertical vibrations and all components thereof.

hat is claimed is:

1. In a supporting stand, a top member, a plate thereon having a lug overhanging its outer surface and a vertical notch in its lower edge; in combination with a detachable leg-supporting bracket con'iprising a flange adapted to engage beneath said lug, and a tightening member adapted to be e11- gaged in said notch.

2. In a supporting stand a top member having a plate, said plate having a lug overhanging its outer surface and a vertical notch in its lower edge; in combination with a detachable leg bracket comprising a socket member and a flange, adapted to engage beneath said lug, a headed bolt extending through said socket member, the shank of the bolt adjacent the head engaging the said slot and the end of the bolt protruding at the front of the socket member, and

5 means engaging the protruding end of said bolt for tightening the bolt to secure said bracket in place.

In testimony whereof, the above described invention is the invention of FRANK A. ADAMS, deceased, I hereby aflix my signature as administratrix.

TERFSA C. ADAMS,

Aclm im'staatm'w 0f Fmn]: A. Adams, (Zeceased. 

